New Bread!

I am so excited! This morning I told you that I was making bread... I mixed it up, let it rise for the 45 minutes, and got discouraged because it didn't rise any... Then I put it in the pans and let it rise for another 30 minutes... Still didn't rise... I turned the oven on and put the pans in hoping it would do something. Well, it did! The bread turned out wonderfully! The only person who doesn't like it is Roger, which is probably a good thing. :) I will give you what I have of a recipe. I say that because I really didn't measure any of it since I didn't know if it was going to work. I just sort of guessed at amounts of ingredients. :)

I do have to come up with a better name for it though... :)

Gluten free, Gum free, Flax Seed bread ;)

2 egg whites

almost two eggs

1/2 cup milk

a little over 1/2 tsp salt

a little over 1/2 tsp yeast

about 1/3 cup flax seed meal (or you can grind your own 1/2 cup whole flax seeds)

about 1/2 cup millet flour

almost 1 cup tapioca starch

Beat together eggs, milk, salt and yeast. Mix in flax seed meal and let sit a few minutes. Add millet, stir, and then add tapioca starch and stir again. The dough will be much thinner than regular wheat bread dough.

Let rise 45 min. Put in two miniature loaf pans and let rise in warm place 30 min. Bake at about 375 for 40 minutes.

I'll warn you though, it is too easy to eat the whole loaf while it's still warm! :)

On top of gluten intolerance, some people also have an 'allergy' to xanthan gum and/or guar gum. I have been using xanthan gum in the cornstarch bread, but we think that Eastin may have a problem with it. So in this recipe the flax seeds fill in for that since they get sticky and slimy and to the same job of holding the bread together. They also give the bread a wonderful 'whole grain' taste that's hard to get if you're on a gluten free diet.

Well, we have had the doors open all day today, with the breeze coming through. At one point I even got cold while I was lying on my bed reading for a few minutes of quiet time before I did the boys' English reading with them. I had a blanket over me, and Coen had the funnest time uncovering my feet!

Speaking of Coen, today he called me 'Na-na'. Today was the first time I've ever heard him say that. He's been saying 'da-da' for a long time, and 'ma-ma' for a few weeks, but today he actually called me by name...well, sort of. While the boys were watching the new Karate Kid after dinner, Coen and I were sitting next to one another in two dining room chairs pulled together so that he wouldn't fall off of his. For about the last 5 minutes of the movie he sat at the edge of his chair with both arms around me and his head against my side saying 'na-na' over and over! It was sooo precious!

Well, it is really late here, I know I should go to bed. I just had to share these few highlights of my day!

All my love,

Hannah

Day 111

Ok. I've given you all a fair chance by now... Happy first day of September!!! (Did I say it first?) This tradition was started by one of my sisters. On the first or last day of each month, we have a little unofficial competition to see who remembers it first. Usually the three place winners are Daddy, Zoe, or me. Since I've been in Japan, I've won the last several times due to the date line. I didn't mention it in my post this morning, so that I could give you all a fair chance. :) I did think about it earlier today, though... I was thinking how special just this simple thing is to me. Without it, I feel like I don't really experience each month. The change of a month should be more than just going to bed one night, and waking up the next day in a different month. It is a whole new set of days that God has put before us. We should be thankful for every moment we have, and every month is like a 'complete set' of days. I feel like this reminds me where I am, and what's happened in each month. It's so... sad, or, boring... when you just go through each month as days and days, and one month fades out of existence into another... I really treasure this little tradition of ours. :) Thanks Zoe!

Today, this first day of a whole new month, has been a very good one. After lunch Hinako cameover for about two hours just to play. I took Aidan, Eastin, Hinako, and Coen downstairs to the deck to play. The 4 of us (excluding Coen) played soccer together. It was probably the most physical play I've had in the last three months, I'm sad to say. We played for a little over an hour. Nearly the entire time, Coen just walked around dragging a yo-yo by the string. He does this almost every day. We call it his pet, and he regularly takes it for walks all around the house, and even the halls outside. :) He is so adorable! After that, we came in and had a cool down snack. I then helped Aidan read a story in English while Eastin and Hinako played with a train set. Not long after Hinako left, Roger and Abi went out too. So I made a quick dinner, and the boys and I watched the new Karate Kid. It is really good. For dinner I made sort of an impromptu lasagna. I half cooked some gluten free macaroni while I browned some chopped chicken. I added spaghetti sauce, herbs, and spices to the chicken, and then layered the pasta and sauce with grated cheese in a pan. I put gluten free bread crumbs on top, and baked it at 300 degrees for 40 minutes. I thought it was really good, and the boys must have too. All three of them ate everything I gave them! After dinner and the movie were over, I "played Karate Kid" by telling them chores to do like Mr. Han had done in the movie! It worked wonderfully. They completely cleared and wiped the table for me while I just sat there! All I had to do was wash the dishes when they got done!!! Then I put them to bed with much more ease than past attempts... Except for Baby, that is. He was determined to stay awake with me, so I let him stay up a little longer.

Well, it's nearly 10:00 here, so I should probably go to bed. I've been trying to get up before 7:30 this week... I think I've woken up at 6:30 every morning, but haven't gotten up until nearly 7:00 or a little after.

Oh. I just have to tell you this! Abi just walked in and told me about the latest news 'decree'. Over 200 people have died in Japan this year due to heat stroke. All of the news stations are telling people to use their air-conditioners. Japanese people rarely use their air-conditioners, even when they do have one. I think it's funny that some Americans use either their central heat or air all year long, and most Japanese don't use theirs even when they do have one! Just so you don't start to worry, we run the air in the living room during the day, and I keep the one in my room on at night...

Speaking of my room at night, I think my little futon is calling me! :)

My love to you all,

Hannah

I Did It!!!

Hi everyone! I just had to let you know that I finally made a wonderful loaf of bread! I was so proud that I had to take a picture of it! I was even more excited about it, because I made up the recipe myself. Abi said it's the best homemade gluten free bread she's ever had. She said she never tasted anything better than it in Memphis. I have to give you the recipe...

Gorgeous Gluten-Free Loaf

1/4 cup Butter, softened

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

5 egg whites

3/4 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup whole milk

2 cups corn starch

1/3 cup millet flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum

1 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together butter and sugar. Add egg whites and beat until very frothy. Add the other ingredients, mixing after each one. I used a regular mixer for the first part, and then a fork after I mixed in the flour. The dough will be thinner than normal bread dough, but it should be smooth. Separate dough into two mini bread pans (about 3x5 or whatever they are). Fill them a little over half full. You will have some dough left over, but if you over fill them, it will drip in the oven... I baked mine at 300 for an hour. But I am using a small convection oven that doesn't function the same way a regular oven does... So try baking it at 350 for 45-50 min. or until evenly browned.

I hope yours turns out as well as mine did! Let me know if and when you make it!

Recipe

This is the recipe for the Russian Teacakes/Mexican Wedding cookies/American Snowballs/English Ladyfingers that I made in Japan...and yes, those are all real names that I have found for the same cookie...

2 cup butter, softened

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

½ cup each: Tapioca starch, Potato starch, cornstarch

1 cup each: Almond flour, Rice flour, and Sorghum flour

3 tsp Xanthan Gum

½ tsp salt

3/4 cup finely chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Heat oven to 400. Mix thoroughly butter, sugar, egg & vanilla. Work in flour, salt & nuts until the dough holds together. Cover & chill for 30 minutes or so. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until set, but not brown. I only needed to keep them in for 10 minutes. I use an oven thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature in my oven. Let cookies cool slightly – 5-10 minutes. While still warm, roll cookies in powdered sugar. Set on cooling rack to complete cooling. Roll again in sugar once they are cool.

This makes 6 dozen cookies, minus the two I ate raw. :)

If you really want to do it the way I did you will mix the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla with a beater, and then use a wooden spoon the rest of the time... There's just something I love about making cookies with a wooden spoon!